He is bringing the Atlantic sturgeon back from the brink

By VCU News staff

Matt Balazik, Ph.D., has dedicated his career to saving one of North America’s most ancient and enigmatic creatures: the Atlantic sturgeon.

These prehistoric, dinosaur-like fish, which have existed for more than 140 million years, once thrived in the rivers along the East Coast – but now, their biggest threat is human activity. Centuries of overfishing, habitat destruction and pollution have nearly wiped out the Atlantic sturgeon population.

At Virginia Commonwealth University’s Rice Rivers Center, located on the banks of the James River and one of the only academic field stations in the U.S. focused on large rivers, Balazik and his team are determined to give the Atlantic sturgeon a fighting chance. The team’s cutting-edge research methods – combining genetic studies, satellite tracking and ecological modeling – are not just helping restore the James River sturgeon population – they are also influencing international conservation strategies.

“The good news is, there’s a lot more than when we first started,” Balazik says.

So far, VCU researchers alone have tagged over 2,000 Atlantic sturgeon in the James. And even though they are rare, the fish play an important environmental role: As bottom feeders, they help clean riverbeds, cycle nutrients and control invasive species.

The video below shares the story of an uncommon hero whose dedication to these remarkable ancient fish has helped turn the tide on their survival.

“It’s a big responsibility because people are looking to you for answers to help a cryptic, endangered species,” Balazik says. “When you scale that up, you don’t realize how big of an impact that small little piece may make.”

Editor’s note: This video was recorded when Greg Garman, Ph.D., was director of the VCU Rice Rivers Center. Chris Gough, Ph.D., assumed the role of executive director in summer 2025.